Frequently Asked Questions

Counselling sessions take place in my peaceful studio overlooking the South Downs in Winchester. The studio is a 15-20 minute walk from central Winchester and easily accessible by local buses. Parking is available at the studio and nearby.

A location map and directions can be found on my contact page.

I charge £50 per session.

I also offer a free 30-minute introductory phone or online appointment. It can be challenging to know what you want from counselling or where to start.  An introductory session gives you an opportunity to ask me more about my qualifications, experience and approach to counselling.  It can help get a feel for what you might be looking for and whether I’m the right person to support you.

You can find a copy of my Client Contract here.

Counselling sessions last around 50 minutes and take place in planned weekly sessions.  How many sessions you have is entirely up to you.  

I offer long term counselling on a fortnightly basis and I try to be flexible and meet your requirements if I can.

Your first counselling session will be an initial assessment appointment.  This session allows us to get to know each other better and it’s an opportunity for me to learn, in depth, about what has brought you to counselling and what you hope to gain from attending.   I’ll ask you questions to enable me to get a good understanding of you the challenges you’re facing, as well as questions related to your mental and physical health.   Getting a full picture of your current life circumstances and personal history ensures that I can support you to the best of my ability. 

During your assessment session we’ll discuss what you would like to get from counselling and the number of sessions you have so that we can work in a way that you feel comfortable with.  We’ll also spend some time going over our client contract and I’ll ask you to fill out out some paperwork – I’ll send you copies of this in advance of our session. 

I provide flexible counselling to suit your needs.  All I ask is that you give me 24 hours notice if you need to cancel a session.  Unfortunately, if you’re not able to give me sufficient notice, l’ll have to charge you for the session.

I am a registered member of the BACP, or the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.  This means that I am committed to meeting or exceeding the minimum quality standards of the BACP including training, supervision, continual professional development and working within the BACPs Ethical Framework for Counselling Professionals.  Choosing a counsellor who is listed on the BACP’s public register gives you the assurance that they meet the standards of proficiency and ethical practice that you would expect.   

I understand how important your privacy is. I take care to maintain your confidentiality in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the ethical guidelines of the BACP.  These guidelines have been set up to protect your confidential material and ensure that I always conduct myself with professionalism and integrity.

In order to provide you with the best possible counselling service, I need to collect certain data from you.  I keep this data securely.  Except where required by law, or health and safety requirements, I will not share your data with anyone else. 

You can find a link to my privacy policy here.